IJGA Students Visit Scotland

Recently, three International Junior Golf Academy students–Chase Phillips, Kayla Kozak and Leo Hernandez–had the exciting opportunity to travel abroad as a part of the International Junior Golf Tour’s inaugural Race to Scotland. Keep reading to learn about the highlights of the trip for each of them. To view photos from the trip, click here.

Chase Phillips 1. Leo can take credit for this picture! Walking up the road hole at St. Andrews!

2. We went to the Edinburgh castle one day and the four boys were trying be artsy. I think I won with this picture. Great views from the castle though!

3. One afternoon we hiked up a mountain! Thought it was going to be pointless but it turned out to be a beautiful view even with the cold. Here’s me and Joel with the selfie of the century!

Kayla Kozak

My trip to Scotland truly was the vacation of a lifetime. I will never forget the wonderful memories I made during my time there. The food/drinks there were very unique and like nothing I’ve ever had before. The house that we stayed at overlooked a golf course. It was stunning. Our group went hiking up a beautiful mountain that overlooked the landscape of Scotland. That was one of my favorite moments of the trip. In addition, we traveled to the large city of Edinburgh and looked at the famous castle there. It was really interesting to learn all about the history of Scotland and see what life was like during certain periods. Also, in the city we went on a haunted ghost tour and scary warehouse that further gave us a peek into the culture of the country. Most of all, it was an amazing experience getting to play golf every day at different courses. The wildlife and views were breathtaking and different than what I was used to. It was really challenging to accommodate the wind and cold during the rounds, and I grew as a player because of it. Playing the Old Course at St. Andrews was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will always treasure. I hope to return to Scotland again in the future. I am very thankful to be a student at the International Junior Golf Academy who allows me to go on memorable trips like this one.

Leo Hernandez

My favorite memories were:

1. Getting to be the first tee time at St. Andrew’s because not only is it a historic course but being the first group out and having the entire course ahead of us open was special. 2. Playing hide and go seek in the dark in the house with all the students and chaperones as it was a fun way to bond with the students from BGGA. 3. Hiking up a mountain, a suggestion by Kayla, because the view from the top of Gullane was gorgeous and something we don’t often get to see.